All-Area Tennis: Kaiser receives a sweet treat in Hershey

When Cristina Kaiser began play in this year’s PIAA Class AAA state individual singles tennis tournament she had a confident aura that it was start of something special.

After finishing as the PIAA Class AAA state finalist one year ago following a very tough loss to Plum High School’s Ronit Yurosky, Kaiser was hoping that her hard work throughout the year would pay off with a state championship.

Faced with a difficult draw coupled with playing at a high level, Kaiser accomplished the goal she had set out for herself by defeating Mount Lebanon’s Callie Frye 7-5, 6-3 to capture the 2012 PIAA State Class AAA individual singles title.

“I felt really confident going into this year’s state individual singles tournament,” Kaiser said in a recent telephone interview. “I played many tough matches and I had a good feeling about this tournament.”

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“I was very happy for Cristina,” said Plymouth-Whitemarsh tennis coach Al Collins. “Cristina has worked very hard and I was very proud of her growth and maturity she showed this year. Her confidence was very visible.”

Upon her return to school, Kaiser was recognized by her peers and the school for becoming the first girl’s tennis player to capture an individual state championship.

As Kaiser’s junior year winds down and she continues to prepare for her senior year in the fall, she will return as the unquestioned leader for the tennis team.

“Cristina is well liked and respected by her teammates,” Collins said. “She helps the younger players and she is invaluable to me when I need a player’s perspective.”

“It was really nice,” Kaiser said in reference to the recognition she received from the school after winning the state title. “I know what this means to the school and it meant so much to know that so many people care.”

Although she faced a difficult draw, Kaiser received a huge confidence builder in the quarterfinals when she defeated Upper St. Clair’s Megan Adamo 7-6(4), 6-3.

“Megan and Callie have similar playing styles,” said Kaiser, “Beating Megan (Adamo) in the quarterfinals gave me a lot of confidence the rest of the tournament.”

Following her quarterfinal win, Kaiser defeated Unionville’s Zaina Zaki for the second time in as many weeks to help secure a spot in the PIAA State Class AAA individual singles tournament for the second consecutive year.

For the third consecutive year, Kaiser entered the state individual tournament as the PIAA District One Champion. As a freshman, Kaiser captured the Class AA champion representing Springfield (Montco) before winning the past two Class AAA crowns representing Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

From the time Kaiser stepped on the court at age five, her passion for the game was clearly visible. By age nine, Kaiser took her tennis to the next level when she started competing in USTA Middle States Tournaments in the 10 & under division.

With her game on the rise, Kaiser continues to play USTA Middle States in the 18 & under division.

To accompany her success on the court, Kaiser continues to be a role model off the court promoting different facets of the game at the Legacy Tennis Center (formerly Arthur Ashe Tennis Center). Legacy Tennis Center’s mission is to create opportunities for a diverse cross-section of young people, especially those from low-income families and communities, to make positive choices in their lives, remain and succeed in school, reject violence and other risky behaviors and grow into active, responsible, productive citizens. These goals are accomplished innovative tennis instruction, education, life skills and leadership development.

Kaiser is an integral part of the Goodstein Junior Leaders Program, which meets once a week and discusses ways to help raise money for Legacy. The GJL also discusses the bets type of involvement for different community service projects.

As Kaiser prepares for her senior year, she has set a goal of defending her state title along with achieving her goal of playing collegiate tennis. Although she has yet to make a decision on what school she will attend, she has hinted on majoring in the sports management field.